SparkFun Forums

[jjchavez]

I see your budget is limited. Keysight (used to be Agilent which used to be HP) has an ebay store with scopes ranging from $500 up. Nice thing about their used scopes is they come with a 3 year warranty I believe and they should be calibrated. Not sure if that is still out of the price range but for a reputable warrantied product, you can't beat it. Link to Keysight Used Oscilloscopes on Ebay http://stores.ebay.com/Keysight/Oscillo ... p4634.m322

[MichaelN]

I spent the 130 for the usb one for now as it meets my immediate needs. I have a feeling I'll End up with a fancier one down the road once I get more and more into building with arduino and circuits

Don't listen to the nay-sayers - a USB scope is VERY useful, and I prefer them over benchtop units in many cases. It takes up less room on your workbench, and lets you take a scope into the field without putting up with the limitations of handheld units (assuming you already have a PC / laptop). Being able to save waveforms directly on your PC is good too.

Another big advantage is the ability to add a logic analyser module - this is far better than having separate units, as it lets you see waveforms on the same screen / timebase (assuming the software allows this).

[WayneNix]

I have owned hi end oscilloscopes and usb oscilloscopes. Depends on your needs. For projects with lethal voltages I prefer to work with the real ones but for smaller projects I prefer usb oscilloscopes because they are small and portable. I own PoScopeMega1 by PoLabs which is perfect for my current projects. It's dual channel 12-bit oscilloscope with signal generator and logic analyzer - all in one. There are many other companies that produce similar oscilloscopes but devices are not problems but software. I like software which is straightforward and you can do with one click everything. Polabs has their own PoScope4 software which is really awsome. Simple for usage with different displays (oscilloscope, fft, recorder, logic analyzer) and you can use multiple oscilloscopes in same application. Their user support is very responsive and helpful which means a lot. Bundle package (device + software) costs around 90€.

Check out their web site: https://www.poscope.com/PoScopeMega1bundle
Their blog with useful articles: http://blog.poscope.com/usb-oscilloscope/

p.s. Although it may seems like I am advertising PoScopeMega1 I must emphasize that I am just happy user of their products and that's all. I am not connected with their company in any way.